Book Review: Rebel Spring

The road to power... is paved with blood and magic.Cleo is now a prisoner in her own palace, forced to be an ambassador for Mytica as the evil King Gaius lies to her people.Magnus stands to eventually inherit the new kingdom but is still obsessed with his feelings for his adopted sister, Lucia.Lucia is haunted by the outcome of the breathtaking display of magic that allowed her father to capture the kingdoms.Jonas watched at the palace gates a troop of rebels behind him, waiting for him to tell them how he plans to overtake King Gaius.After a bloody siege, Auranos has been defeated, its young queen orphaned and dethroned. The three kingdoms—Auranos, Limeros, and Paelsia—are now unwillingly united as one country called Mytica. But the allure of ancient, dangerous magic beckons still, and with it the chance to rule not just Mytica, but the whole world over...At the heart of the fray are four brave young people grappling for that magic and the power it promises. For Cleo, the magic would enable her to reclaim her royal seat. In Jonas's hands, it frees his nation, and in Lucia's, it fulfills the ancient prophecy of her destiny. And if the magic were Magnus's, he would finally prove his worth in the eyes of his cruel and scheming father, King Gaius, who rules Mytica with a punishing hand.When Gaius begins to build a road into the Forbidden Mountains to physically link all of Mytica, he sparks a long-smoking fire in the hearts of the people that will forever change the face of this land. For Gaius's road is paved with blood, and its construction will have cosmic consequences (goodreads).

After the high that Falling Kingdomsgave me, I knew that I had to have the next book immediately. Sadly, after finishing Rebel Spring, I felt deflated.

Plot: About a month after the events of Falling Kingdoms, Rhodes gives us an update on all of our characters. Cleo is being held prisoner in her father's castle, Magnus is trying to survive his father's wrath, Jonas has a bumbling group of rebels to take care of, and Lucia is stilll unconcious after her battle in Auranos. The plot isn't necessarily bad, it's just....stationary. It's your classic Sophmore slump where we are waiting for something to happen, and nothing seems big enough.

Characters: In Falling Kingdoms, I was very interested in the various motives of our characers. WHile Cleo generally annoyed me, I saw potential for the great queen that she could be. In Rebel Spring, Cleo takes two steps back. My biggest problem with most of the characters is that they seem to fall in love with every other human being they come across. I had a tentative OTP in Falling Kingdoms but now I don't even know what to believe. Everyone is appreciating the physical beauty of another character, then contemplate whther or not they're falling in love. There is a war happening, can we focus on that for a few minutes?

Worldbuilding: We are given more informaton about the Watchers and where they live, and I squee with anticipation to learn more about them. It's interesting to see how the lands have reacted to King Gaius' rule, and how outside forces will help tip the scales.

Short N Sweet: Rebel Spring was a disappointment compared to Falling Kingdoms, but I'm sure the action will pick up with upcoming books.